The Student Room Group

Part IIB Cambridge Economics

Part IIB
Year 3
The final year consists of two compulsory papers (Microeconomics and Macroeconomics), two optional papers and a compulsory dissertation. One of the objectives of the final year is to extend your knowledge of economic theory and train you to apply this theory to practical issues and public policy.


I retrieved this from the Cambridge Economics site and was wondering what the two optional papers could be?

For the second year, it gives you a choice of
Development, Sociology or Mathematics.


If there are any students who are to read, or are reading, Economics at Cambridge, please would you inform me on the choices available for the two optional papers.

Thank you in advance.
Reply 1
From the Tripos Brochure:
Labour (Paper 3), Economic Theory and Analysis (Paper 4), Banking, Money and Finance (Paper 6), Public Economics (Paper 7), The Economics of Underdeveloped Countries (Paper 8), Industry (Paper 9), Theory and Practice of Econometrics II (Paper 10), Time Series and Financial Econometrics (Paper 11), World Depression in the Inter-War Years (Paper 14) and a range of options offered by the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (Paper 16 and Papers 17a-d). Students are not allowed to take more than one option from among those offered by the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences.

Hope this helps. :smile:
Reply 2
Thank you -mb-.

Out of interest how mathematical are the compulsory Macro and Micro modules in both PartIIA and Part IIB?

I assume PartIIA is at least 50% maths if you take the optional Maths option along with Econometric, Macro and Micro

Out of the final year options, would I be correct in stating that Banking, Money and Finance (Paper 6) and Time Series and Financial Econometrics (Paper 11) are the most mathematical?
Reply 3
I have to say I love the choices for year 3. However, I read somewhere (can't remember where) that some of those options may not be offered depending on various things.